Beetroot Pkhali is a vibrant and delicious vegan pâté made with beetroot and walnuts, flavoured with garlic and a traditional Georgian spice blend.
Beetroot Pkhali is a traditional Georgian dish, known for its bold flavours and vibrant colour. Made with sweet, earthy beetroot, it’s mixed with ground walnuts, garlic, and spices for a flavorful punch. While spinach is another common base for Pkhali, beetroot brings a unique sweetness. You can also make it with other vegetables like cabbage or eggplant, but the rich, nutty flavour from the walnuts and spices remains the same. We also have a recipe for Spinach Pkhali.
Creating a Georgian Spread: Beetroot Pkhali and Vegan Pairings
For an easy pairing with Beetroot Pkhali, serve it with crusty bread or traditional Georgian Mchadi, a simple cornbread perfect for scooping up all the flavours.
To go all out, pair it with Badrijani Nigvzit, a delicious eggplant dish stuffed with walnut paste. The rich eggplant and walnut combo balances the sweetness of the beetroot Pkhali. If you’re into Pkhali variations, try both beetroot and spinach versions for a colourful, flavourful Georgian feast at home.
Khmeli Suneli
Khmeli Suneli is a traditional Georgian spice blend. It typically includes blue fenugreek, ground coriander, chilli and lots of dried herbs including dill, summer savory and oregano, though, as with most spice blends, variations exist. This aromatic mix adds complexity and warmth to dishes, offering a fragrant blend of earthy, slightly bitter, and floral notes. Khmeli Suneli is essential in many Georgian recipes, infusing them with the distinctive flavour of the region’s cuisine.
You might be able to find Khmeli Suneli at speciality stores or online, but if you can’t track it down, don’t worry—you can easily whip up a simplified version at home. All you need is a tablespoon each of ground coriander, blue fenugreek (or regular fenugreek if that’s easier to find), dried dill, dried oregano and dried summer savory together with ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. If you want to keep it even simpler, just use ground coriander, fenugreek, dill and cayenne pepper for the basics.
Cooked Beetroot
Save time with pre-cooked beetroot: To speed things up, you can buy pre-cooked beetroot, which cuts out the time needed for roasting. Just make sure to choose unsweetened, plain beetroot.
Cooking your own beetroot: If you prefer the homemade route, roasting beetroot brings out its natural sweetness and enhances the earthy flavours. Wrap each beetroot in foil and roast at 200°C (390°F) for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on their size. They should be tender when pierced with a fork.
After roasting, let the beetroots cool, then rub the skin off with your hands or a paper towel. The skin should slide off easily.
Beetroot Pkhali – Georgian Beetroot and Walnut Spread
Ingredients
- 250 g cooked beetroot*
- 10 g fresh coriander cilantro
- 50 g walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 spring onion
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon khmeli suneli
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
- Using a box grater or food processor coarsely grate the cooked beetroot, and set aside until later.
- If you have a food processor pulse all the ingredients apart from the graded beetroot to form a thick paste. Scraping down the sides as needed. Add the beetroot and pulse a few more times until fully incorporated.
- If you do not have a food processor, grind the walnuts and garlic in a mortar and pestle into a thick paste, finely chop the fresh coriander and spring onions then combine everything in a bowl.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve your Beetroot Pkhali at room temperature. Garnished with pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander. Serve with Georgian Mchadi or crusty bread.
